Community Foundation of the Lowcountry

Greater Bluffton Community Endowment Fund

The recent and continuing development of the greater Bluffton area is quite phenomenal.  We have all experienced the impact of this in the form of changing demographics with changing needs.  While bringing new and valuable resources, both human and economic, this also places a strain on the small but critical nonprofit sector in the area.  This sector, serving the arts, education, health, human services, community development and the environment, is attempting to bridge gaps and provide safety nets, improving the quality of life for all of us. 

In this important work of community-building, among the most critical needs are these:

• A permanent and growing source of dollars, unrestricted as to purpose, which can be mobilized over time as community needs become known and critical.
• A group of local decision-makers who understand the complex needs of the community and who are well-suited to steer the movement of resources to the places of greatest need.

Fortunately, the Greater Bluffton Community Fund, established by the Community Foundation of the Lowcountry, provides the mechanism for the fulfillment of these two critical needs.  Gifts to this effort will provide both available dollars for use in the short term, and permanent dollars invested to provide an important source of long-term funding.  In addition, the community leaders involved in the Advisory Council are people who have committed to be strategic and sensible with these funds, responding carefully to the ever-shifting needs of our community with comprehensive awareness, expertise and compassion. 

What is the mission of the Greater Bluffton Community Fund?
The Fund’s mission is to develop and sustain a collaborative effort among area residents to support current and future community needs and opportunities, and to provide grants to assist qualified nonprofit agencies or organizations working to serve local needs.

What is the role of the Council?
The Council will be working on developing gifts from individual donors, corporations and community organizations interested in becoming philanthropic partners in support of the needs of the Greater Bluffton community.  In addition, the Council will establish the grant making guidelines for the distribution of the available grant dollars to nonprofit organizations serving the residents of the Greater Bluffton area.

How is the Fund operated?
The Greater Bluffton Community Fund has been established as a fund of the Community Foundation of the Lowcountry, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization  It consists of two components:  1) a permanent endowment fund to serve the community in perpetuity, and 2) a community charitable fund to address immediate needs and opportunities.

News and Updates
The Greater Bluffton Community Endowment Fund was recently awarded a matching grant from the Community Foundation of the Lowcountry.  Read more here.